Institutional accreditation is regularly reviewed and renewed (or "reaffirmed") by the NWCCU. This occurs through regular reports and site visits. UAA's institutional accreditation was last reaffirmed in early 2012, as a result of an accreditation report in September 2011. This report began a new accreditation cycle that will run from 2011-2017.

UAA submitted a Mid-Cycle Self-Evaluation Report in September 2014 and hosted a site visit in October 2014. Click here to learn more about the current 2017 cycle.

Accreditation Steering Committee

The Accreditation Steering Committee, formed in spring 2014, is an advisory group created to ensure broad institutional participation and sustainability of the accreditation process. To find out more about the Committee and view membership, agendas, and minutes, visit the Committee's website.

To read more about what core themes, objectives, and indicators are, and the history of their development at UAA, click here. Click here to see UAA's table of core theme objectives and indicators.

UAA Mission Fulfillment

Along with core themes, the NWCCU also requires institutions to define mission fulfillment, describing how the university will know that it is accomplishing its mission. UAA is taking a more holistic approach to mission fulfillment, integrating the contributions of many units to the mission and core themes.

To learn more about mission fulfillment, including a graphic on the Measures of Mission Fulfillment, please click here.

NWCCU Statement on Institutional Accreditation Status

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding an institution's accreditation status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: